DJ Rap – a.k.a. Charissa Saverio – is a British DJ probably best known for her seemingly endless vinyl releases in drum & bass, house, as well as progressive electronic music. Her latest full-length record is the pop-infused disc Synthesis, a belated follow-up to her 1999 major label debut, Learning Curve.

Synthesis exhibits a range of instrumentation and dance-oriented styles, often incorporating organic equipment such as guitars and drums, while always maintaining a focus on an electronic pop structure that encompasses the entire record and gives it a cohesive, singular feel. Musically, the tracks on Synthesis are characteristically similar to those of Madonna or Lady Gaga. Even the edgier, more up-tempo tracks feature a sugary atmosphere that are equally inhibited by the album’s overly clean and polished production, ultimately forging a sound that seems flat and lacking in dimension.

Synthesis is also lyrically underdeveloped and often feels painfully sophomoric. Even the most fully realized song on the album, “In Your Corner” features one hackneyed phrase after another. With lyrics like “What a wicked web we’ve weaved / Guess that’s what I get for being naive” followed with “But you can’t see the forest through the trees / Because you’re in too deep,” it’s hard to take DJ Rap or Synthesis all that seriously.

DJ Rap’s finest attribute on this disc easily has to be her incredible singing voice, which is simply lush, breathy, and occasionally quite seductive. Her vocal work alone is what makes returning to certain songs worthwhile, and has understandably garnered her attention in the past from acts like BT, whom she has sung for. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to carry the bulk of Synthesis or make it an album that will stand the test of time in the pantheon of pop music.

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